Reverse-gear for motor-vehicles.



PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

, A. SALTER.

REVERSE GEAR. FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.8, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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No. 853,120. P'ATENTED MAY 7, 1907. w. A. SALTER.

REvERsE GEAR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.8.1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WILLIAM A. SALTER, OF CEDAR POINT, KANSAS.

REVERSE-GEAR FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

To a 101mm, it nun/y concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. SALTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cedar Point, in the county of Chase and State of Kansas,have invented new'and useful Improvements in Reverse-Gear forMotor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to reversing gearing for motor vehicles, and itsobject is to enable the operator to reverse the direction of movement ofthe vehicle without reversing the motor, so that the latter may alwaysrun in'the same direction.

Various devices have been heretofore proposed for accomplishing thissame result, but my invention contains elements of novelty andsimplicity which render it materially different from what has precededit and constitute a decidedimprovement in the art.

The invention is applicable only to those motor cars in which a shaftdrive is used that is, in which a shaft driven by the motor runslengthwise of the vehicle to a point adj acent to the rear axle, wherethe shaft and axle are connected by bevel gearing. It is customary tomake the driving axle in two parts united by a differential gearing orjack-in-tl1e-box. The rotatable casing in which this gearing is housedis provided with an external bevel gear which meshes with the, bevelpinion on the rear end of the motor driven shaft. In my invention, Iprovide this casing with two bevel gears, facing each other, and theshaft is carried in a bearing or bearings which enable it to be shiftedlaterally, so that its pinion can be engaged with either one of thebevel gears; the resultbeing that when it is in mesh with one of saidgears the vehicle runs forward, while when thepinion is carried overinto mesh with the other gear, the vehicle will run backward. In bothcases, the differential gearing is used, so that its advantage is notlost, but the device is operlative when used with a solid driven shaft aso.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view, partly insection, of the rear driving axle and wheels of a motor vehicle, and aportion of the driving shaft and the gearing. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection through the drive shaft and gearing. Fig. 3 is a view of theleft hand end of Fig. 2, the shaft being in section. Fig. 4 is a crosssection on the line 44, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of amodification. Fig. 6 is Specification of Letters Patent. Applicationfiled January 8,1907. Serial No. 351,372.

Patented May 7 1907.

a similar view of another modification. Fig. 7 is an elevation of aportion of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is an elevation showing anothermodification.

Referring first to the views on Sheet 1, the driving wheels 1 are shownas mounted on the ends of the divided axle 2, whose abutting ends enterthe easing 3 in which is housed the differential gearing 4, of anypreferred type. On the outside of the casing are formed or secured thetwo bevel gears 5, 6, facing each other and preferably of the same sizeand pitch. The drive shaft 7, which runs lengthwise of the vehicle,carries at its rear end the pinion 8 adapted to mesh with either of thegears 5, 6; the space between said gears being sufficient to preventsaid pinion from engaging with both at the 'same time. The shaft 7 isprovided at its front end with a universal joint 9 by means of which itcan be flexibly connected with the shaft of the motor.

In order to enable the shaft 7 to be moved laterally so as to bring thepinion into mesh with one or the other of the gears 5, 6, at will, saidshaft is' preferably journaled in a long bearing in a rotatable element,such as the sleeve 10, which is mounted eccentrically in a cylindricaltube 11 forming preferably a part of the framework supporting thesevarious parts. Since the axle of the shaft is eccentric to that of thesleeve, it follows that when the latter is oscillated in the tube theshaft will be carried from side to side, and the pinion will be meshedwith one or the other of the bevel gears, as the case may be.

Various modes of oscillating the sleeve may be devised. In Figs. 1, 2,3and 4, I have shown one end of the sleeve provided with asegment gear 12meshing with a segment gear 13pivoted at 14 on top of the tube 11 andattached to a lever 15 to which is pivoted a rod 16 running to somepoint convenient to the operator. Any movement of the lever will causethe segment gear 13 to turn the sleeve in its bearing in the tube,

and thus shift the pinion from one bevel gear 5, 6, to the other. Inaddition to this shifting means, I provide a locking device forrelieving the segment gears of all strain after the pinion has beenshifted. This consists preferably of two bolts 17, 18, pivoted to thelever 15 on opposite sides of its pivotal point 14 and extending backthrough holes in the casing 19 which surrounds the reaches the end ofits oscillation, and the pin ion is fairly in mesh with its gear, thelug comes in line with one of the bolts, and the latter enters itsaperture, so as to prevent any backward movement of the sleeve. To

permit this additional movement of the lever- 15 required to insure thebolting of the sleeve after it has reached its position, the segmentgears are designed to disengage at the proper instant. A long tooth 22at each end of the segment gear 12 insures the reengagement of the gear13 therewith when the reverse movement of the gears is effected.

The arrangement above described causes the shaft 7 to be shiftedlaterally as a whole, that is, its front end is carried through the sameare as its rear end. In some cases, it may bepreferable to shift onlythe rear end of the shaft, in which event its front end will have to bemounted in a ball and socket hearing, as shown at 23 in Fig. 5. The rearend of the shaft, also may be journaled eccentrically in a ball 24,which can be oscillated by some suitable device to carry the pinion toand fro into engagement with the bevel gears 5, 6. I

In lieu of a ball 24, a cylinder 25 may constitute the rotatable elementfor supporting the rear end of the shaft, the latter passing throughsaid cylinder on a line oblique to its axis, so that when the cylinderis oscillated the shaft will move in a conical path, the apex of whichis in'the front ball .23. A simple means for oscillating this cylinderis shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and consists of a in 26 projecting from thecylinder through a slot 27 in the stationary tube 28 and engaging with adiagonal slot 29in a sleeve 30 mounted upon the tube 28. By means of arod 31 or the like the sleeve can be slid to and fro, and

. in so doing it causes the pin 26 to move from end to end of the slot27 and thus oscillates the cylinder.

If desired, some locking meansmay be provided for the sleeve; such forinstance as the straight portions 32 at the ends of the diagonal slot29. may be dispensed with, and the slot 27 may be provided with lateralrecesses 33, as shown in Fig. 8, into which the ends of a block 34 canbe turned when the in 26 reaches the end of its travel. The b ock ispivoted on the pin and is provided with some means for readily turningit, such as the crank'arm 35, which can be easilyconnected with a rod orsome equivalent device for actuating it at the same time with the block;the movement of the rod effecting first the turning and-unlocking of theblock, next the ever, I consider the driving Or, if preferred, thesleeve sleeve, a hand oscillation of the pin in its slot, and finallythe turning of the block to relock it at the other end of the slot.

I do not bind myself to the exact construction herein shown, as it isobvious also, that there may be many other means, of the application ofthis invention, and which means may be classed as theaequivalentthereto, both in the shifting and the locking of the bevel pinion intoenga ement with the two facing bevel gear whee s secured to thedifferential gear casing. Of the various means by which this result maybe obtained, howshaft, journaled eccentrically within a circu arrotatablejournal asthe best, as it admits of economical manufacture, andvery accurate and durable construction, coupled with rigidity inoperation, and maintaining of exact lines in thepitch of the gearingbetween the bevel wheel members, when in engagement, thus insuring evenwear and easy running. But any other means for shifting the drivingshaft laterally and locking it into position as described, so as to bethe equivalent hereto, also comes within the scope of this invention,and is claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is i 1. In a reversegear, the combination with a divided shaft, of a casing, differentialgearing therein connecting the ends of the two portions of said shaft,two bevel gears secured to said casing and facingeach other, a drivingbevel pinion adapted to mesh with either of said gears, and connectedmeans for shifting said pinion into engagement with either of saidgears, and for looking it in such position.

2. In a reverse gear, the combination with a divided shaft, of a casing,differential gear ing therein connecting the ends of the two portions ofsaid shaft, two bevel gears secured to said casing and facing eachother, an element rotatable on an axis transverse to said shaft, a driveshaft journaled eccentrically in said rotatable element, and a pinion.on said drive shaft adapted to be engaged with either of said gears,when said element is rotated, and connected means for rotating andlocking said element.

3. In a reverse gear, the combination with a divided shaft, of a casing,differential gearing therein connecting the ends of the two portions ofsaid shaft, two bevel gears se-- cured to said casing and facing eachother, a, tube extending at right angles to said shaft, a sleeverotatable in said tube, a drive shaft j ournaled eccentrically in saidsleeve, a pinion on said drive shaft adapted to mesh with either ofsaidgears, means for oscillating said sleeve comprisin two gears, one onsaid ever connected with the other, and a locking device actuated bysaid, hand lever.

x 0 either of said gears, means 4. In a reverse gear, the combinationwith a divided shaft, of a casing, differential gear ing thereinconnecting the ends of the two portions of said shaft, two bevel gearssecured to said casing and facing each other, a tube extending at rightangles to said shaft, a sleeve rotatable in said tube, a drive shaftjournaled eccentrically in said sleeve, a pinion on said drive shaft adated to mesh with ibr oscillating said sleeve, and locking bolts movingwithsaid oscillating means and engaging with said sleeve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of 15 two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM A. SALTER.

Witnesses:

MATIE A. SALTER, JOHN B. HANNA.

